Fish Tank 50
Interview with Imai Hisashi
Translation: Lola
Other than recording Imai-san, you had a live the other day.
With Lucy, yeah. It was fun, it's been a long time since Lucy. ......but, we only had...two days of rehearsal.... So somehow it felt weird...like we didn't have enough time, because it just started and it was over. ...I rehearsed at home too though. So I could find the right sound again, because some things wouldn't be right for Lucy *smiles*.
Your mind had a hard time switching to Lucy because you were in the middle of recording with Buck-Tick. Three bands performed for the live but, were you acquainted with everyone?
Yeah. Well with Yukihiro-kun and Fuji Maki-kun.
Did you get to watch them all on stage?
The live performance? ......I watched them rehearse. The sound was so loud though. I thought some people might be bothered by it *smiles*. The sound quality was bad for the low parts.......
During the Lucy live, both you and Kiyoshi-san commenced playing from offstage while the audience could only see Okazaki-san *smiles*.
Hya-ha-ha-ha! We didn't plan it that way or anything. It just happened naturally.
At the end of the event you played in SCHAFT but wasn't Raymond the one who did the vocals originally?
Ah.......mm.
What spurred you into doing SCHAFT?
I've always said that I wouldn't do it again, even during an interview with Kanemitsu-san for [Ongaku to Hito] I protested adamantly against it but then, it seemed like that made Fuji-san want to do it even more. After when he thought about it he said, 'you set me up' *smiles*.
That's not something Fuji-san would usually say......*smiles*.
Exactly! *smiles*
Did you rehearse for SCHAFT?
Only the day of the show, twice. Yukihiro-kun is terrible you know? I guess he didn't know the songs? He hadn't played them before.
How did you decide who would sing the songs?
I did the parts that were mine....... Hm? Uh you do know that it's me singing in the original right?
Huh?! They were originally......your songs Imai-san???
Well they're not Raymond's! Eh? Raymond's parts were just done by Fuji Maki-kun and I did mine as usual *smiles*.
Oh...*sweat drops*
I thought...you weren't getting it...hya-hya-hya~! Ok, in SCHAFT there are songs that I sing in originally right, soooo, those are the ones we did *smiles*.
God...I feel stupid now....... S-sorry.
So, Fuji Maki-kun and I arranged it over the phone that he would sing Raymond's parts....
Did the audience at the venue know who SCHAFT was?
I don't think anyone knew, no *smiles*. But then again, isn't the SCHAFT stuff out of print? U-ha-ha-ha-! I think it's been out of print for quite awhile. I think? I was...still in my 20s..........
You did lives in Shinjuku's Kosshin Power Station didn't you?
Yes, yes, ah playing there makes me feel so nostalgic *smiles*. I was around 27~28 I think? ......uwah! I shocked myself just now *smiles*.
For the finale, the three of you (Imai, Fuji and Yukihiro) joined together for one song.
We did? ...oh yes right! *smiles* The stage was pitch black for just that one song. There was no...introductions or anything. I thought we should at least introduce Yukihiro-kun but......we didn't! *smiles*
It's been a long time since Lucy gathered together but, are there any plans in the works for Lucy after this?
No, none. I've been trying to make time for it...Lucy is...really, my kind of thing...because it's made of lightness. So even if I hadn't made the first album, the three of us would probably still take to the stage....
How did recording go with Buck-Tick?
Uuh...well...hmm...it went....
You wrote a lot of lyrics this time Imai-san.
But, I wrote about six, and Acchan wrote about nine, that's pretty close isn't it? We have a lot this time.
Did the lyrics come to mind as you were writing the songs?
Yes, yes. I'd think 'it's better if I write the lyrics to this one'. But then sometimes while I'd be working on a song, I'd end up thinking that actually Acchan would be better than me and so I'd hand it over to him. Like with 'GALAXY', at first I thought I'd write the lyrics but......the more I thought about it...I realized that I'd be wrong for it.
Recently you filmed the PV for the single 'HEAVEN' but...how did that go?
We had to meet at 5 in the morning so...I didn't know what time to go to sleep at *smiles*. Because I didn't know...I went drinking in the end... I was contacted by Chiba (the manager) about an hour before I went drinking.
So you basically didn't get any sleep. Did you sleep on the way?
Yes. But you know......the bus got there so quickly. Then, going home it seemed to take so long *smiles*.
Because one way you were awake and the other you were sleeping....
Yes, yes. It was cold during filming. I was watching the weather in the bus until the afternoon while I was waiting and it was hooo~t. But then, ...as the day came to a close...it gradually felt like mid-winter *smiles*. But it's good to do these things once in awhile.
When I watched the completed PV I thought your hair has gotten really long Imai-san.
It is long isn't it. I'm not cutting it. Haha.
Still growing it out?
I'm not sure yet. Well...for now.
So why did you pick 'HEAVEN' and 'GALAXY' as singles...?
When people listened to 'HEAVEN' as a candidate song...it...it won people over so...then, I made other people listen...like Kiyoshi-kun, and he had a good reaction to it. 'GALAXY' was popular all around *smiles*. With people from BMG and Tanaka-san too. When I wrote the music, I was sort of aware it was heading in the direction of being a single. But, then when it came time to choose a single 'GALAXY' didn't really come to mind for me. But of course I sought other people's opinions on it.
On the whole, what kind of feeling do you think this album has?
As with the previous album 'Tenshi no Revolver', there are no ties with '13kai ha gekkou'. We've toyed with that stuff enough. Now that those bonds have slackened...we feel free...and if you compare it to the previous album, it's more upbeat. It is simply, simple.
We had the costume design contest...and now that you've made your choices, what did you think?
Mm. There was some good stuff. It's just, we have to make something from the image...like in the picture...right. And it'd be difficult to do a lot of it...so, I'd like to combine some things together.
Huh? You mean you want to combine different designs together?
Yeah. Because some look like they'd mix well....
Because this is the last interview for this year, would you recap this year for us....
There was recording......and.......recording. Already during the latter half of the year it felt like winter. Usually every year in the middle of summer during broad daylight, Kacchan and I go for soba and beer. Then this year it was like...what the hell?! Summer's already over! *smiles* I knew it had to end though because it was September *smiles*.
I ask you every year but what are your plans for the end of the year?
Hm? I do the same thing every year so why don't you just copy paste my answer from last year *smiles*.
Next year you have a tour beginning in spring.
Yeah. The album comes out too.... I want to play new songs during the end of the year live at Budoukan too. ...maybe I will.... So, I have great expectations for next year!!